Meet Cassie | Occupational Therapist

Meet Cassie, one of our amazing occupational therapists. A member of the Solace team for four years, Cassie earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in occupational therapy.

Describe your role at Solace:

I am part of a wonderful team at Solace that works to help the children and families in our community live their best lives. As an Occupational Therapist my goal is to help children do the activities they want to do and need to do in order to thrive in their daily routine. I utilize a holistic approach that acknowledges how the various systems of the body and the environment impact how we function. This often means addressing activities of daily living, fine motor coordination, sensory motor skills, strength, cognition, and social-emotional skills in the home environment. I assist by providing therapeutic use of daily activities (occupations), interventions to facilitate developmental growth, and strategies to adapt the environment or tasks in order to help children to engage with greater independence in daily life.

What do you like most about your job?

One of the things I love most about working at Solace is the opportunity to bring hope to children and families in my community. For many children and families, the introduction to Occupational Therapy is filled with questions, concerns, and uncertainty. I love to step into challenging situations and immediately work to build trust and confidence for the journey ahead. Every child has unique strengths that should be celebrated and tended in order to help the child thrive. When I work with children on skills that don’t come as naturally, it is crucial to integrate individual strengths and work toward what is motivating. Empowering parents to utilize the incredible knowledge they have of their child(ren) to guide the journey is one of my top priorities.

What do you find most challenging about your role with Solace?

One of the aspects of my work that I find most challenging is helping children and families connect the dots with the comprehensive “team” that is needed to thrive. This often means working diligently to build connections with doctors, teachers, community resources, and caregivers to create consistency and fluidity of care in order to help the child as comprehensively as possible. This is a very good and important challenge.

What are your hobbies?

I think all of my favorite hobbies include being outside! I love cycling and hiking with my husband through the Colorado Rockies. When the summer months hit Colorado, I love to explore this beautiful world by camping as a family with my 2 little boys all throughout the mountains. It is a JOY getting to watch my boys experience the beauty in nature around them with pure enthusiasm. I am always ready for an adventure.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

My proudest accomplishment in life thus far has been striving in whatever context I find myself to faithfully build strong relationships that bring light to the world. Currently my season of life has me building relationships in my work at Solace, in my community of Colorado Springs, and in my family. One of the greatest gifts of life has been that of motherhood – daily refining and filled with awe. By personally navigating the waters of motherhood, I find myself even more eager to walk with the children and families I work with at Solace knowing that there is so much strength in completing the journey of life together in community instead of striving alone.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

The person that has provided the greatest inspiration for my life is Jesus. The historical accounts of how he loved and cared for people is simply incredible. There were no cultural or social boundaries that stopped him from making people feel seen, known, and loved. He lived the most beautiful composition of truth and grace. I am deeply grateful for the freedom we have that allows every person to bring a unique story, perspective, and inspiration to contribute to the bettering of the world. I hope that my unique story, perspective, and inspiration impact every relationship I have with a lasting impact of encouragement, hope, and light.

What might someone be surprised to know about you?

I have spent several months in East Africa with my husband serving with local Christian missionaries and offering my skills in Occupational Therapy to those in rural communities with very few resources.. I never knew I would so dearly treasure sitting on dirt floors with parents helping provide basic skills to improve quality of life for their children.  I am grateful for the opportunities in life that have helped me gain perspective from other cultures and places in this world to grow and develop my empathy and humility. My time in East Africa was rich in growing me and sparked my heart to pursue the pediatric population upon my return to the States. I am grateful that Solace was the team I immediately joined following this season.

How would someone describe you?

My hope is that most days and in most moments those who know me would use the words helpful, joyful, and kind to describe me. There have also been quite a few occasions where I’ve been described as ambitious 🙂

What would you be doing if you weren’t working at Solace?

One venture I love to dream up is that of guiding outdoor backpacking, cycling, and hiking trips side by side with my husband to show people the beauty in the world while working toward a challenging goal. Perhaps there will be a season of life in the future when I will have this opportunity.